Imphal, August 17 2010: Even though the state is experiencing heavy shortfall in power supply, the rural electrification programmes have covered 79.32 percent of the total number of villages located in both hill and valley districts as the programme is making rapid progress.

Interestingly, the programmes are extensively covering villages in the hill districts.

Five hill districts have recorded the largest number of electrified villages more than that of the valley districts.

Chandel, Ukhrul, Senapati and Tamenglong districts were in the top four positions having the largest number of electrified villages, according to the latest data of electrified villages in the state available with the Hueiyen Lanpao.

The official data indicates that the total number of villages upto January 2009 was 2524.Out of these villages, the Electricity Department has electrified 2002 villages till March of this current year, 2010.The data shows that 79.32% of the total villages in Manipur had been electrified till date.

With 95.71% of the total villages electrified till date, Chandel district is in the top position in electrification of villages under rural electrification programmes.

In this district, out of a total of 350 villages, 335 villages have been electrified as of date.

Ukhrul district with 92.92 % of the total villages electrified closely follows Chandel district.

Out of 198 villages in Ukhrul district, 184 villages, that is 92.92%, had been electrified.

Tamenglong district with 83.63% (out of 171 villages, 143 electrified) is the third district having electrified villages.

Senapati district, having 503 electrified villages out of total 612 villages, is in the fourth position with 82.19% of electrified villages.

With 399 villages (73.15 %) out of total 553 villages electrified, Churachandpur district is in the fifth position.

Even though Imphal East district with 75.58% of electrified villages is in the sixth position.

Out of 258 villages in Imphal East district, 195 have been electrified.

Bishnupur district has the lowest number of electrified villages with only 43 out of 74 villages representing only 58.11% so far electrified.

Imphal West district also has only 113 electrified villages representing 61.41% out of 184 villages.

In Thoubal district, 65.41% of electrified villages, that is 87 out of 133 villages electrified, as per the latest data prepared by the state Electricity Department.

In Manipur, rural electrification programmes like Prime Minister's Package under Non-lapsable Central Pool of Resources (NLCPR), Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY), Restructured Accelerated Power Development and Reform Programme (R-APDRP), State Rural Electrification, etc., are being implemented with the target of achieving cent percent village electrification.

Manipur Renewal Energy Development Agency (MANIREDA), under the Manipur Science and Technology Department, is supporting electrification programmes in the remote areas with non-conventional energy sources like solar, wind, biomass, etc.

In this year till now, 16 virgin villages have been electrified, the source maintained.

The village electrification progammes are being taken up in the state amid the heavy shortfall in power supply.

The demand of power has always surpassed the supply, disclosed the source adding that against the actual 170 Megawatt of power required in the peak hour, only 110 MW are available.

Another factor of the shortfall in power supply is due to the transmission and distribution system.

The system is very weak.

As for instance, the original sub-transmission system of Greater Imphal was designed for 8 MW of power only while the present connected load of the same area is about 80 MW.

It has not yet been augmented adequately.

The transmission and distribution loss is therefore very high, the source pointed out.

The energy injected to the system at present is 538.319 Mega Unit and 430.63 at 11 KV system while the energy available for sale is 467.979 MU.

But only 285.03 MU is sold.

The state purchased 489.594 MU of energy from the Central Sector Power Agencies at a total cost of Rs 107.64 crores (inclusive of arrears, etc.) and 44.786 MU of energy was received from the Loktak Project free of cost.

But the outstanding due payable to the Central Sector Agencies for purchase of power as on March 31, 2010 was Rs 19.5848 crore including Rs 17.2632 crore with the Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd.

(PGCIL) and Rs 2.3216 crore with Assam State Electricity Board (ASEB) .

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